New Release: Wolfgang Haffner - Heart Of The Matter

Wolfgang Haffner's new release: Heart of the Matter

Meinl Artist since 2007: Wolfgang Haffner

The title "Heart of the Matter" of Wolfgang Haffner's latestalbum is definitely more than just a play on words. For Germany's most highly decorated drummer, including the EchoJazz 2010 award, his profession has been "a matter of the heart"ever since he began his career at the tender age of 18 in AlbertMangelsdorff's band. The work that followed for innumerableGerman and international stars and his participation on morethan 400 albums bears witness to this. But only since he startedrecording his own albums as an ACT artist has he felt close tothe "heart of the matter": "I don't see myself as just a drummeranymore, but as a universal musician. I compose, arrange, seekout and enter worlds of sound. That is my thing."

So "Heart of the Matter" is a logical continuation of the paththat Haffner took with his previous albums "Shapes", "AcousticShapes" and "Round Silence": Again it is about organic, calmmusic with a strong groove, substantial melodies full of colourand space. "I have found a sound for myself; one thatcorresponds to me. And yet each time I progress a little further.This time I discovered new instrumentation possibilities and theinclusion of voices," says Haffner. Perhaps the change ofscenery played a part. Haffner composed most of "RoundSilence" on Formentera. Now he has been living in Ibiza since2010. "When you sit by the sea, the moods and inspirationscome to you on their own." So it is easy to deduce where titlessuch as "Nacho" and "Island Life" came from, which form a kindof framework for the ten tracks on the album.

The compositions are one thing, how they are playedanother. This is where Haffner gets back what he has givenother musicians for so many years. The core of the team thatHaffner gathered together in the well-known Berlin HansaStudios – where artists the likes of David Bowie, u2 andDepeche Mode produced their hits – is made up of oldcompanions: From trumpeter and multi-instrumentalistSebastian Studnitzky, who already played on "Shapes" and"Round Silence", to keyboarder Eythor Gunnarsson, theIcelandic megaband Mezzoforte, whose album "ForwardMotion" Haffner produced in 2004, through to Sting guitaristDominic Miller. How it came about that Miller played all theacoustic guitar on the album is indicative of the production as awhole: "We had the studio for three days," Haffner recalls,"Dominic was on the way back home from London and actuallyonly had the first day free. But on the second day he just cameback in and said "I'm staying. I love it." And then he even stayedfor the third day."

Just one of many similar stories. For example, the worldfamous bass baritone Thomas Quasthoff, whose solo jazzevenings Haffner accompanied as drummer, absolutely wantedto be involved, as Haffner recounts: "Just as he was planning hisretirement from the concert circuit, I told him I would be goinginto the studio soon. He immediately asked: "And where's thetrack I'm singing on?" And despite all his teaching duties, hecame to the studio right away. It was important to me that hedidn't just sing some token song: I wanted to use him as aninstrument with his timbres and fascinating percussion sounds.He hadn't done that before on any album, and I think it workedout amazingly on "Melodia del Viento"."

Till Brönner, who doesn't actually do guest appearances, alsomade an exception for his old friend, and plays the flugelhornsolo on "Here’s To Life". The track from Artie Butler is not onlyextraordinary because it is one of the rare cover versions on aHaffner album: "The song has been a going concern for Till andme since we recorded “Love" in New York in 1998, his firstalbum for Verve, sung by Shirley Horne. A fantastic number! I'dbeen wanting to do something with that song for years, butwithout vocals. When I spoke to Till about it and asked him forthe music, he said: "Why don't you just let me play it on thehorn? We've been stuck for what to do with this number for 15years now; I just want to play it." Chuck Loeb had also played onBrönner's album "Love". Wolfgang Haffner had introduced theAmerican guitarist to Brönner at the time. Now his distinctiveelectric guitar can be heard on two tracks on "Heart of theMatter".

A long-time mutual admiration also connects Haffner andGötz Alsmann, who can be heard as accordionist on "BetweenA Smile And A Tear". At the Echo Jazz 2010 awards, Haffnertook the stage for the first time together with singer CélineRudolph. That was when they had the idea to do somethingtogether. The guest appearances of clarinettist MagnusLindgren, singer and percussionist Andrew Lovell, aka Shovelland known as a member of the English band M-People,similarly come under the category of a "favour from a friend".

Everyone on ‘Heart of the Matter’ is connected some way.None of them were just booked. We're all friends", Haffnersummarises. This is probably the key reason why it all soundslike a band situation, like live jazz spirit, why the album lives andbreathes. Together they have advanced to the musical heart ofthings the way Wolfgang Haffner sees them.